SINGAPORE, June 18 (Bernama) -- Lee Chong Wei was beaten and so was the pair of Gan Teik Chai and Tan Bin Shen, ending Malaysia's challenge in the Singapore Open Friday.

The tournament's top seed in the men's singles and the 2008 champion, Chong Wei was shown the exit by Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro in their quarter-final match at the Indoor Stadium.

Sony, the No. 7 seed won 7-21, 21-19, 21-15 to set up a semi-final clash with India's unseeded Kashap Paruppali, while Chong Wei will have to take an early flight home to prepare for the Indonesian Open next week.

It wasn't the kind of performance the crowd had expected from the world No. 1. Tried as they did to cheer him on, Chong Wei just could not produce the magic to deny the Indonesian No. 1 a ticket into the last four.

So, Chong Wei's opening game performance in which he was in total control right from the start was a false dawn as the Indonesian shuttler clawed back to take the second set and then set himself for the decisive victory in the rubber.

"It was my never-say-die attitude which was my key to victory today. After losing the first game and down 1-5 in the second, I told myself I must not concede anymore points," said Sony.

"I reminded myself that I needed to keep the shuttle in play and stay patient, otherwise it would be all over for me."

He won the second game 21-19 and from then on felt confident enough to step up a gear and attack Chong Wei instead.

His game plan bore fruit and Sony, who had beaten Chong Wei in the two previous World Championship, in Kuala Lumpur in 2007 and Hyderabad last year, triumphed 21-15.

For Chong Wei, it has been a struggle for him at the 2010 Singapore Open. He was taken to three games by two lightweights -- Brice Leverdez of France in the opening round and Indonesia's Rumbawa Hayom in the second on Thursday, and could not survive the third round.

"It's alright. I lost to a better player today and my preparation with an eye towards the World Championship in Paris in August, will continue," he said.

Earlier, the pair of Gan Teik Chai and Tan Bin Shen was also shown an early exit by South Korea's Ko Sung Hyun and Yoo Teon Seong in the men's doubles quarter-finals.

The Koreans who had eliminated the top seed, Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong on Thursday, were just too powerful for their opponents, winning 21-17, 21-10 in just under 28 minutes.

Peter Gade, the No. 2 seed justified his seeding with a 17-21, 21-8, 21-17 win over Simon Santoso of Indonesia in their quarter-final clash, to book his ticket into the semis where he will play Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana, the 2007 champion, tomorrow.

The top seed in the women's singles, India's Saina Nehwal is through to the last four after her 21-17, 21-14 win over China's Li Xueri. She will play the defending world champion Lu Lan of China in the semis tomorrow while Bae Youn Joo of South Korea will play Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the other semi-final.

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